[06/25/12 - 12:38 PM]E! Entertainment Special: "Tim Tebow's Wild Rise" Premieres on July 2nd at 8:00 PM, ET/PT on E!The half-hour special features Tebow's close friends, former high school and college football coaches, sports journalists and pop culture experts.

[via press release from E!]

E! ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL: TIM TEBOW'S WILD RISE

The Football Star's Phenomenal Journey To Astronomical Fame Is Detailed With Help

From His Former Coaches, Close Friends And Sports & Pop Culture Experts

(Los Angeles, CA, June 25, 2012) - E! examines a fascinating athlete who has transcended sports to become a full-fledged pop icon in the upcoming E! Entertainment Special: Tim Tebow's Wild Rise. His extraordinary success on the football field, coupled with his religious devotion and infectious charm, have made Tebow a beloved and controversial figure ... but love him or hate him, Tim Tebow has undeniably captured America's attention. From rumors of hot Hollywood hook-ups, to "Tebowing" becoming a part of the American vernacular, to his much-discussed virginity, everybody is talking about Tebow. And, now that he is playing in New York, the spotlight is getting brighter. E! speaks with Tebow's close friends, former high school and college football coaches, sports journalists and pop culture experts who have followed his aspirational career to reveal the phenomenon surrounding this remarkable lightning rod. The E! Entertainment Special: Tim Tebow's Wild Rise premieres on July 2nd at 8:00 PM, ET/PT on E!

Young Tim Tebow was home-schooled on his family's farm. He was able to play on his town's high school football team and wowed the spectators.

"He played part of a game with a broken leg, scored a touchdown." - Gary Belsky, Columnist, Time.com

"Even his opponents sometimes would ask for his autograph." - Craig Howard, Tebow's High School Football Coach

Tebow's faith, which he considers his greatest gift, caught some people by surprise and inspired countless others. It began a national conversation.

"People that knew him like myself growing up or were close to him, we knew that was just Timmy. That's just who he was." - Will Oakley, Tebow's High School Friend

"There was definitely the naysayers that thought he was a fake, that thought all this stuff that was out there about Tim, even the football players probably thought like, 'where's the real Tim? This can't be real Tim.'" - Justin Giangrande, Tebow's College Friend

Upon graduation Tim Tebow was drafted by the Denver Bronco's and "Tebow Mania" grew to new heights.

"It was like a train, it just kept building and building and building and that phenomenon, Tebow-mania just erupted. " - Damien Woody, NFL Analyst, ESPN

Now a New York Jet, the attention on Tim Tebow is hotter than ever.

"I think this whole nice boy Captain America image is the biggest thing going for him. If he didn't have it then what would we be talking about?" -Ryan Brockington, NY Journalist

"I don't expect we're going to see a lot of pictures of Tim Tebow tweeted with his shirt off, dancing drunkenly in clubs. I think he'll do just fine in New York. Having said that, I think the media will be on 24/7 alert waiting for a Tim Tebow slip up." - Gary Belsky, Columnist, Time.com

Be sure to tune-in to the 30 minute special, "Tim Tebow's Wild Rise," on July 2nd at 8:00 PM ET/PT only on E!